U.S. patent number 5,768,925 [Application Number 08/801,924] was granted by the patent office on 1998-06-23 for electronic-component-integrated key.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Alpha Corporation, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Takurou Ozawa, Yoshio Watanuki.
United States Patent |
5,768,925 |
Ozawa , et al. |
June 23, 1998 |
Electronic-component-integrated key
Abstract
An electronic-component-integrated key has a head and a key
plate. The head has an inside case portion, an outer sheath portion
to be fixed to the inside case portion from outside, and a recessed
portion that is formed in the inside case portion and arranged on
the side of serrations of a key plate, not on the side of a head
portion 1a of the key plate, so as to be substantially in parallel
with the key plate. An electronic component is held within the
recessed portion by a holder, and an abutment portion of the inside
case portion is partially exposed to the outer surface of an
opening formed in the outer sheath portion. During the process of
manufacturing the electronic-component-integrated key, the
following steps are taken when the key plate is arranged within a
cavity of a mold. The key plate is fixed within the cavity by
causing the abutment portion of the inside case portion to be
abutted against the mold, and the outer sheath portion is
thereafter formed on the outside of the inside case portion by
charging molten resin into the cavity.
Inventors: |
Ozawa; Takurou (Kanagawa,
JP), Watanuki; Yoshio (Kanagawa, JP) |
Assignee: |
Alpha Corporation (Kanagawa,
JP)
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Kanagawa, JP)
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Family
ID: |
16986873 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/801,924 |
Filed: |
February 14, 1997 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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531085 |
Sep 20, 1995 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Sep 29, 1994 [JP] |
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6-235494 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
70/408; 70/395;
70/278.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
19/04 (20130101); G07C 9/00944 (20130101); Y10T
70/7802 (20150401); Y10T 70/7073 (20150401); Y10T
70/7876 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
G07C
9/00 (20060101); E05B 019/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;70/408,278,395 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2-156835 |
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Jun 1990 |
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JP |
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4-6462 |
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Jan 1992 |
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JP |
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4-79550 |
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Dec 1992 |
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JP |
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WO 92/07156 |
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Apr 1992 |
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WO |
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Primary Examiner: Lindsey; Rodney M.
Assistant Examiner: Pham; Tuyet-Phuong
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Nikaido Marmelstein Murray &
Oram LLP
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
08/531,085 filed Sep. 20, 1995, now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic-component-integrated key comprising:
a key plate having a) a blade portion formed at a front end with
serrations which serve to give a key code and b) a head portion
extending sideways from a rear end of said blade portion;
a head being made of resin and fixed to an end portion of the key
plate, said head including
an inside case portion being made of hard resin and having a
recessed portion located parallel with and adjacent to a side of
the blade portion, said recessed portion having a front end
extending toward the serrations of the key plate and a rear end
located adjacent to the head portion, and
an outer sheath portion being fixed to an outside of the inside
case portion and being made of soft resin; and
an electronic component arranged within the recessed portion of the
inside case portion, which is activated by a signal by an antenna
outside said key and which is rearwardly shielded by said head
portion of the key plate;
wherein abutment portions are formed on the inside case portion and
are partially exposed to the outer sheath portion.
2. An electronic-component-integrated key according to claim 1,
wherein the electronic component is held by a holder having elastic
claws being engaged within the recessed portion of the inside case
portion.
3. An electronic-component-integrated key according to claim 1,
wherein the inside case portion has a pair of first and second case
pieces; said first case piece having elastic claws; said second
case piece having through holes; said elastic claws of first case
piece are engaged with said through holes to retain the first case
piece with the second case piece.
4. An electronic-component-integrated key according to claim 1,
wherein the abutment portions of the inside case portion are
exposed so as to be substantially flush with the outer sheath
portion.
5. An electronic-component-integrated key comprising:
a key plate having a) a blade portion formed at a front end with
serrations which serve to give a key code and b) a head portion
extending sideways from a rear end of said blade portion;
a head being made of resin and fixed to an end portion of the key
plate, said head including
an inside case portion being made of hard resin and having a
recessed portion located parallel with and adjacent to a side of
the blade portion, said recessed portion having a front end
extending toward the serrations of the key plate and a rear end
located adjacent to a point where the head portion extends sideways
from the blade portion, and
an outer sheath portion being fixed to an outside of the inside
case portion and being made of soft resin; and
an electronic component arranged within the recessed portion of the
inside case portion, the electronic component being activated by a
signal from an antenna outside said key and the electronic
component being rearwardly shielded by said head portion of the key
plate.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a key used for locking a lock system, and
more particularly to an electronic-component-integrated key capable
of incorporating an electronic component such as a transponder and
a method of manufacturing such electronic-component-integrated
key.
For example, a key for use in motor vehicles disclosed in
Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication Hei-4-6462 includes:
a key plate for mechanically unlocking a lock system; and a
transmitter for unlocking the lock system by outputting an unlock
signal that is propagated to the lock system through the air. This
key has a watertight case that contains the transmitter and a base
that has the key plate insert-molded therewith. The watertight case
and the base are releasably coupled to each other. Such a key
incorporates a transponder such as proposed, e.g., in Examined
Japanese Patent Publication Hei-4-79550 or in Unexamined Japanese
Patent Publication Hei-2-156835.
A conventional method of incorporating such transponder into the
key is, as shown in FIG. 14, such that: a recessed portion 52 is
formed in a head 51 of the key 50, the head being made of resin; a
holder 54 for containing a transponder 53 is arranged inside the
recessed portion 52; and the transponder 53 is then inserted by
force or with an adhesive between the recessed portion 52 and the
holder 54 to fix the holder 54.
The head shown in FIG. 14 is molded so as to cover the outer
surface with soft resin so that the user can not only enjoy a
gentle touch but also be protected from danger. The head is closed
with a sliding mold so that the soft resin will not leak into the
recessed portion 52 during molding. However, since the key must be
fixed so as not to move in the key inserting direction at the time
the sliding mold is inserted, the blade portion of the key is
caused to be abutted against a mold die to regulate the moving of
the key due to the sliding mold being inserted.
In the conventional key 50 shown in FIG. 14, the recessed portion
52 is formed at a position opposite to the blade portion of the
key, and this arrangement allows key operating force to be directly
applied to the recessed portion 52, from which arises a problem
that the electronic component will be damaged while subjected to
excessive mechanical deformation during the use of the key. In
addition, since the recessed portion 52 is not covered with the
soft resin, the passenger gets hurt when the passenger has his or
her knee struck by the key. Moreover, the head 51, being covered
with the soft resin, does not allow the mold to be abutted
thereagainst. Therefore, the recessed portion 52 is necessarily
arranged at the position opposite to the blade portion of the key.
This arrangement also requires that an opening for passing a key
holder ring or the like therethrough be formed at a position that
is not at the center, thereby making it hard for the user to pass
the ring through the opening. Still further, the aforementioned
Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 4-6462
proposes a key in which an electronic component is integrated in a
head made of mold resin. This design requires screws for the
assembly of the key.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an
electronic-component-integrated key that can be resin molded by
causing a mold to reliably hold the key plate set within a
cavity.
An electronic-component-integrated key of the invention has a key
plate and a head. The key plate has a blade portion for forming
serrations that serve to give a key code, and the head is made of
resin and fixed to an end portion of the key plate. The head has an
inside case portion and an outer sheath portion. The inside case
portion is made of hard resin and has a recessed portion that is
arranged on the side of the serrations of the key plate, not on the
side of a head portion of the key plate, so as to be substantially
parallel with the key plate. The outer sheath portion is fixed to
the outside of the inside case portion and is made of soft resin.
An electronic component is arranged within the recessed portion of
the inside case portion. Abutment portions of the inside case
portion are partially exposed to the inner surface of an opening
formed in the outer sheath portion, the inner surface being on the
side of the blade portion.
In the invention, the electronic component is held by a holder
having elastic claws that are engaged within the recessed portion
of the inside case portion. The inside case portion has a pair of
case pieces. Elastic claws are formed on one of the case pieces of
the inside case portion, whereas through holes are formed in the
other case piece. The one case piece is retained by the other case
piece while engaging the elastic claws of the one case piece with
the through holes of the other case piece. The abutment portions of
the inside case portion are exposed so as to be substantially flush
with the outer sheath portion.
An electronic component, which is activated by a signal from the
antenna of a lock system, is arranged within the recessed portion
of the inside case portion. A hood portion is formed at the head
portion of the key plate, the hood portion extending sideways from
the blade portion and surrounding the electronic component in
L-like form together with the blade portion.
A method of manufacturing an electronic-component-integrated key of
the invention involves the steps of: attaching the inside case
portion to the head portion of the key plate by setting the pair of
case pieces to the head portion of the key plate; not only fixing
the key plate to a cavity of a mold by arranging the key plate
having the inside case portion attached thereto in the cavity and
then causing the abutment portions of the inside case portion to be
abutted against the mold, but also inserting a sliding mold into
the recessed portion of the inside case portion; forming the outer
sheath portion over the outside of the inside case portion by
charging molten resin into the cavity; not only removing the
sliding mold from the recessed portion of the inside case portion,
but also separating the key plate from the mold; and inserting an
electronic component into the recessed portion of the inside case
portion. In an embodiment of the invention, a post is arranged
adjacent to the mold after the blade portion of the key plate has
been inserted into a receiving hole of the post, and then the head
portion of the key plate is arranged within the cavity of the mold.
The molten resin is charged between a plurality of abutment
portions arranged substantially perpendicularly to the key plate,
the molten resin serving to form the outer sheath portion. A
stepped portion formed by the pair of case pieces when the inside
case portion is attached to the head portion of the key plate is
arranged within the cavity so as to be displaced from a gate for
charging the molten resin for forming the outer sheath portion. Out
of the pair of case pieces for forming the stepped portion, one
case piece close to the gate is made thick and the other case piece
remote from the gate is made thin. The soft resin is charged into
the through holes formed in the other case piece of the inside case
portion.
During manufacturing, the outer sheath portion is resin molded with
the abutment portions of the inside case portion abutted against
the mold (the abutment portions are exposed even after the inside
case portion has been covered with the outer sheath portion).
Therefore, the key plate can be fixed to the cavity stably during
molding. In addition, the electronic component is arranged within
the recessed portion formed in the inside case portion that is made
of hard resin. Therefore, the electronic component can be protected
from external force. Moreover, the outer sheath portion formed by
soft resin can give a comfortable touch to the user and can protect
the user from collision-related danger when the key is used as a
key for motor vehicles. By engaging the elastic claws formed on the
holder with the recessed portion of the inside case portion, the
holder can be snapped to the head without screws.
If the openings of a plurality of electronic-component-integrated
keys are coupled to each other with a ring and a single
electronic-component-integrated key is inserted into the lock
system, then the key plate is interposed between the antenna of the
lock system and the electronic component of the other
electronic-component-integrated key so that the key plate serves as
a metal shielding member.
The stepped portion formed by the pair of case pieces is arranged
inside the cavity so as to be displaced from the gate through which
the molten resin is charged to form the outer sheath portion.
Therefore, the amount of molten resin leaking into the interface
between the pair of case pieces is small. This contributes to
reducing the amount of molten resin leaking into the recessed
portion, thereby allowing the recessed portion to be given a
designed degree of dimensional accuracy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an electronic-component-integrated
key, which is an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a line A--A of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line B--B of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the
electronic-component-integrated key of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a case piece used for the
invention;
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the other case piece used for the
invention;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along a line A--A of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along a line B--B of FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state in which a key plate having a
head attached thereto is inserted into a post;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along a line A--A of FIG. 9 with
the key plate being inserted into a mold;
FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along a line B-A of FIG. 9 with
the key plate being inserted into the mold;
FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a gate of the mold;
FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state in which one of a plurality
of electronic-component-integrated keys of the invention coupled
through a ring is inserted into a steering lock system; and
FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional
electronic-component-integrated key.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Electronic-component-integrated keys, which are the embodiments of
the invention, will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to
13.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, an electronic-component-integrated key of
the invention includes: a key plate 1 and a head 2. The key plate 1
has a blade portion 3 with serrations 3a for giving a key code
formed thereon. The head 2 is made of resin and fixed to an end
portion of the key plate 1 including a head portion 1a. The key
plate 1 has an annular hole 1b for inserting a key ring and is
T-shaped by both the blade portion 3 and the head portion 1a that
extends sideways from the blade portion 3. The head portion 1a is
embedded inside the head 2. The head 2 includes an inside case
portion 6, an outer sheath portion 8, and a holder 7. The inside
case portion 6 is made of hard resin. The outer sheath portion 8 is
not only fixed to the outside of the inside case portion 6 and to
the outside of the hole in the head 2, but also made of soft resin.
The holder 7, which is made of resin such as polypropylene, is to
be inserted into a recessed portion 5 that is formed by the inside
case portion 6 and the outer sheath portion 8 so as to be
substantially parallel with the key plate 1.
To manufacture the key, a pair of case pieces 6a, 6b that
constitutes the inside case portion 6 shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 is
prepared. The pair of case pieces 6a, 6b is made by injection
molding using hard resin such as polypropylene, polyacetal, or
polycarbonate. The case piece 6a has three through holes 10, a
groove 11 formed in the middle, a substantially rectangular slot
12a, and stepped portions 6d, 6e. The slot 12ais formed not only
adjacent to the groove 11 but also closer to the blade portion 3
than the head portion 1a of the key plate 1. The stepped portions
6d, 6e are formed in the slot 12a. The case piece 6b has three
elastic claws 13 and a slot 12b. The elastic claws 13 correspond to
the three through holes 10 of the case piece 6a. The slot 12b
corresponds to the slot 12a of the case piece 6a. When the case
piece 6a is fitted over the case piece 6b after the key plate 1 has
been set into the groove 11 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the elastic
claws 13 of the case piece 6b are snapped into the through holes 10
of the case piece 6a.
The recessed portion 5 is formed rather on the side of the
serrations 3a of the key plate 1, not on the side of the head
portion 1a of the key plate 1, so as to be substantially parallel
with the key plate 1. Within the recessed portion 5 an electronic
component 4 is held by the holder 7. The holder 7 has elastic claws
9 that are not only engageable with the stepped portions 6d, 6e
within the recessed portion 5 of the inside case portion 6 but also
elastically deformable. A portion 1c of the head portion 1a of the
key plate 1 which extends toward the electronic component 4
surrounds the electronic component 4 in L-like form together with
the blade portion 3.
The electronic component 4 includes: a substrate, and such electric
elements for forming electronic circuits as a coil antenna,
capacitors, a battery, a constant voltage circuit, a storage
circuit, a signal forming circuit, or an oscillator circuit. Since
the outer sheath portion 8 is formed by resin molding after the
pair of case pieces 6a, 6b constituting the inside case portion 6
has been formed and then attached to the key plate 1, the inside
case portion 6 can be shaped as desired in this embodiment. As
shown in FIG. 4, two abutment portions 6c of the inside case
portion 6 are partially exposed to an inner surface portion of an
opening 8a so as to be flush with the outer sheath portion 8, the
inner surface portion being on the side of the blade portion 3 and
the opening 8a being formed on the outer sheath portion 8.
FIG. 13 shows a state in which the openings 8a of the heads 2 of a
plurality of electronic-component-integrated keys are coupled to
each other through a ring 17 to thereby allow one of the
electronic-component-integrated keys to be inserted into a steering
lock system 15 and operated by gripping the heads 2 of both keys.
When one of the electronic-component-integrated keys is inserted
into the steering lock system 15 that has an antenna 16 wound, the
base of the blade portion and the hood portion 1c of the head
portion of the key plate 1 are interposed between the electronic
component 4 inside the other electronic-component-integrated key
and the antenna 16, thereby implementing metal shielding with the
key plate 1. Therefore, even if different electromagnetic induction
signals 18 are generated from the electronic components 4 of a
plurality of electronic-component-integrated keys, almost none of
the electromagnetic induction signal of the electronic component 4
at a the lower position is transmitted to the antenna 16, which in
turn allows only the electromagnetic induction signal of the
electronic component 4 at the upper position to be reliably
discriminated through the antenna 16.
Next, a manufacturing method of the electronic-component-integrated
key as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described hereinafter. The key
plate 1 is set into a cavity 23 of a mold 22 with the blade portion
3 of the key plate 1 inserted into a receiving hole 21 of a post 20
shown in FIG. 9. While FIGS. 10 and 11 show an example in which a
single key plate 1 is inserted into the post 20, multi-cavity
molding is implemented during the actual key manufacturing process;
i.e., a plurality of key plates are molded while inserted into a
plurality of receiving holes 21 of the post 20. The mold 22 has a
lower mold 24 and an upper mold 25. The key plate 1 set into the
cavity 23 formed by the lower mold 24 and the upper mold 25 is
arranged so that not only the abutment portion 6c thereof is
abutted against a projection 24a of the lower mold 24 but also the
serrations 3a of the blade portion 3 are abutted against the outer
surface of the post 20. As a result, the key plate 1 can be fixed
to the cavity 23 stably.
Then, a sliding mold 26 is moved into the cavity 23, and an end
portion of the sliding mold 26 is inserted into the recessed
portion 5 formed by the slots 12a, 12b of the inside case portion
6. Being abutted against the inner side of the abutment portion 6c,
the key plate 1 is not moved by the inserting of the sliding mold
26. Further, since a plurality of abutment portions 6c are arranged
so as to be perpendicular to the sliding mold 26 inserting
direction, the key plate 1 does not rotate. When the sliding mold
26 has been inserted into the recessed portion 5, the key plate 1
is retained within the cavity 23 more reliably. The outer sheath
portion 8 is thereafter formed over the outside of the inner case
portion 6 by charging molten resin into the cavity 23.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, when the inside case portion 6
is attached to the head portion 1a of the key plate 1, an L.sub.2
-long stepped portion 6f that is formed by the pair of case pieces
6a, 6b is positioned in the cavity 23 so as to be displaced from a
gate 27 by a distance L.sub.1, the gate 27 serving to charge the
molten resin to form the outer sheath portion 8. Out of the pair of
case pieces 6a, 6b that forms the stepped portion 6f, the case
piece 6a close to the gate 27 is made thick, whereas the other case
piece 6b remote from the gate 27 is made thin. Soft resin is
charged into the through holes 10 formed in the case piece 6a,
which is one of the case pieces of the inside case portion 6. Since
the stepped portion 6f formed at the interface between the case
pieces 6a, 6b is positioned in the cavity 23 so as to be displaced
from the gate 27 for charging the molten resin to form the outer
sheath portion 8, the molten resin that is injected from the gate
27 at the molten resin injection start is not directly forced into
the interface between the pair of case pieces 6a, 6b (the stepped
portion), thereby contributing to reducing the amount of molten
resin entering into the interface between the case pieces 6a, 6b.
As a result, the amount of molten resin entering into the recessed
portion 5 is likewise reduced, and this prevents repulsive force
from being applied to the case pieces 6a, 6b by the injection
pressure, and therefore contributes to giving a desired degree of
dimensional accuracy to the recessed portion into which the
electronic component 4 is inserted.
Further, since the molten resin for forming the outer sheath
portion 8 is charged between the pair of abutment portions 6c,
there is no gap interposed between the periphery of each abutment
portion 6c and the outer sheath portion 8. Still further, since the
molten resin for forming the outer sheath portion 8 is charged also
in the through holes 10, the case pieces 6a, 6b can be fixed
reliably. As the soft resin for forming the outer sheath portion 8,
rubber-based resins such as polystyrene butadiene or vinyl chloride
resins are used.
After the outer sheath portion 8 has been formed over the outside
of the inside case portion 6, not only the sliding mold 26 is
removed from the recessed portion 5 of the inside case portion 6,
but also the key plate 1 is taken out of the mold 22. Then, after
the electronic component 4 has been inserted into the recessed
portion 5 of the inside case portion 6, the holder 7 is attached to
the recessed portion 5. In this embodiment, the recessed portion 5
is formed on the side of the serrations 3 of the key plate 1, not
on the side of the head portion 1a of the key plate 1, so as to be
substantially parallel with the key plate 1. The holder 7 is
arranged so as to confront the key hole of a not shown lock system.
Further, the plurality of elastic claws 9 formed on the holder 7
are engaged with the stepped portions 6d, 6eto make the holder 7
unrelesable from the recessed portion 5.
The electronic component 4 set into the recessed portion 5 of the
inside case portion 6 made of hard resin is protected against
external force, and the outer sheath portion 8 made of soft resin
gives the user an agreeable touch. Further, by engaging the elastic
claws 9 formed on the holder 7 with the stepped portions 6d, 6eof
the recessed portion 5 of the inside case portion 6, the holder 7
can be snapped into the head 2 without employing screws. Further,
the key plate 1 can be fixed to the cavity stably during molding
since the outer sheath portion 8 is injection-molded with the
abutment portions 6c abutted against the mold 22 during
manufacturing, the abutment portions 6c being formed so as to be
substantially flush with the outer sheath portion 8 that covers the
inside case portion 6.
As described in the foregoing, the invention is characterized as
allowing the key plate set in the cavity to be resin molded with
the key plate 1 reliably held. Therefore, a high-quality key having
a head covered with soft resin can be manufactured. In addition,
since it is on the opening that the abutment portions are formed,
not only the sliding mold can be inserted from the side of the
blade portion, but also the insertion hole of the recessed portion
can be arranged on the side of the blade portion. Therefore, the
electronic component 4 is not damaged by key operations, which in
turn contributes to preventing danger.
* * * * *